DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, April 6, 2003: Former South African singer Shashika Mooruth is back in the country to release two new CDs. Mooruth, who has toured the world performing devotional music, will release "Vraja -- Sounds Beyond Time" and "Swagatam Krishna" at the Festival of Chariots, which ran from April 18 to 21. "It is different from the kind of music I usually do because it is more techno, as opposed to the sweet devotional songs I am used to. This CD is aimed at the youth. I want to try to bring them back to their roots with music they are familiar with," she says. "The lyrics, which are of religious significance, are in Bengali and Sanskrit. We have performed some of the songs at discos in India and have received an overwhelming response." Mooruth says she uses her music more as a preaching tool. "I don't like stage performances apart from devotional. Every Saturday I sing at a two-hour program at a Krishna temple in Juhu, Mumbai. I feel that this talent has been given to me by Lord Krishna and, therefore, whatever I do, I do as an offering to Him." A strict vegetarian, she begins her day at 4 a.m. with chanting and prayer.

SAN FRANCISCO, USA, April 13, 2003: According to the Bay Area Yoga Guide, there are more than 70 yoga studios in the nine counties around the San Francisco Bay, and most have opened since 1999. Yoga practitioners say that in the uncertain aftermath of the tech crash and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, many unemployed dotcomers and jittery urbanites are simply seeking ways to lead a quieter and more fulfilling life. "Yoga is a way to cope with life and situations that are threatening your health and mental peace," said Hari Hara Nanda Das, a teacher at the Yoga Society of San Francisco. From a real estate perspective, opening a yoga studio is a cheap proposition, especially with today's drastically lower rents. There's almost no overhead -- all you really need is a flat surface and someone to teach and lead the practice. It's the reason many mainstream fitness clubs such as World Gym, Gold's Gym, Crunch and Club One, have added yoga classes to supplement their weights and machines.

NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 27, 2003: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi issued a demolition notice to Shri Sanatan Dharam temple for having allegedly constructed area in excess than the authorized "Floor Area Ratio" -- the allowable area for building construction on a given lot size. The notice requires the temple authorities to demolish almost the whole temple complex, spread over 1.75 acres, including four temples, the charitable trust office, pravachan halls and the dharmasala. The probable date for demolition was April 26. The devotees protesting against the order said it was discriminatory and demanded that all the places of worship throughout the country be demolished as very few are in accordance with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi laws. The temple is 35-years-old and is constructed on authorized land acquired in Greater Kailash II. "The temple should not be demolished as there was no such law existing at the time of its construction," said temple president Rajnish Goenka.

NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 26, 2003: Dr. Karan Singh, Member of Rajya Sabha and Chairman of the "Temple of Understanding," a global interfaith association, recently released "Education for a Global Society: Interfaith Dimensions." Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Singh said that the Temple of Understanding was an attempt to foster harmony among various religions of the world and that the fourth Parliament of Religions would be held in Barcelona, Spain, 2004.

NEW JERSEY, U.S.A., April 4, 2003: Stepping through the hand-carved marble arches in Arvind and Bhagwati Amin's home in Bernardsville, New Jersey, is like being transported to a palace in their native India. The Amins have a suite on the main floor while their two sons and families occupy separate wings of the house. Each day everyone gathers to pray together in the family's shrine room. The luxuries they enjoy have their roots in a humble food, Hot Mix, a spicy Indian "trail mix" of fried noodles made from chickpea flour and tossed with cashews, pistachios and spices. It was the first item produced by the family business, Deep Foods, which Arvind Amin laughingly calls "the Frito-Lay, Haagen-Dazs and Stouffer's of Indian food." The company makes 65 snack foods, as well as ice cream and frozen entrees. The inspiring full story of the Amin's extended family and their success in the Indo-American fast food industry can be found at "source" above.

UNITED STATES, April 26, 2003: President John F. Kennedy appreciated this proverb which he believed originated from Ireland, but actually was from India's epic, the Ramayana. "There are three things which are real: God, human folly and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension, so we must do what we can with the third."

MAURITIUS, April 25, 2003: The Century Foundation and Bangalore University are organizing a Global Summit on Medicinal Plants to be held on the island of Mauritius, September 25-30, 2003. The main Theme of the Conference will be "Recent Trends in Cultivation, Conservation, Phytomedicine and Other Alternative Therapies for Human Welfare." The Island of Mauritius, venue of the conference, is unique in its flora and fauna. There are around 700 species of indigenous plants, of which about 300 are endemic to the region. Several endemic and indigenous species are used in the traditional medicines. Because many endemic plants in Mauritius are on the verge of extinction, it's felt there is a need to promote the revitalization and use of local health traditions of ethno-medicine in the region and share the benefits derived from traditional knowledge with the global community. Readers may contact Dr. V. Sivaram at "source" above for information regarding the conference.

GOPESHWAR, UTTARANCHAL, INDIA, April 24, 2003: Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines in the Garhwal Himalayas will be reopened on May 5 and 8 respectively for pilgrims after their annual winter closure, district magistrate Chamoli said. The Kedarnath Shrine, dedicated to Lord Siva, is situated at an elevation of 3,584 meters in Rudraprayag district while Badrinath Shrine, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is situated at an elevation of 3,110 meters in Chamoli district in the Indo-Tibetan Himalayan border region. Hundreds of thousands of devotees throng these shrines yearly during the pilgrimage season. According to D.M. Chamoli, all necessary security arrangements had been made to ensure a peaceful pilgrimage along with arrangements for providing necessary sanitation facilities for the pilgrims.

NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 19, 2003: While indipop, bhangra, rap and remix albums come and go in popularity, Indians listen to devotional music morning after morning without getting tired. Believing in God seems the safest bet in the music industry, industry insiders say. While there may be many reasons for the perpetual popularity of devotional songs, a spokeswoman of Music Today says, "There's so much stress that people are increasingly veering towards spiritualism and bhajans/stotras fulfill that need." People of all ages are buying CD recording of just bhajans and kirtans. Pure Sanskrit slokas are also popular. Devotional music stays at the top of the charts, even beyond the festival seasons of Navaratri, Ganesha Chaturthi and Deepavali. The popularity associated with devotional songs is also inspiring singers of other genres of music to venture into this territory.

NEW YORK CITY, U.S.A., April 22, 2003: New York City Council Speaker Gifford Miller and Council Member James Gennaro celebrated Naba Barsha (Bengali Hindu New Year) and Vaishaki (Punjabi New Year, harvest and time when the Khalsa Panth was established) were celebrated at City Hall in New York City on Tuesday. Organized by Queens County District Leader Uma Sengupta, the program included dances by acclaimed Oddisi exponent Gargi Chattopadhyay's OMNA Ancient Arts troupe, and Punjabi and Bhangra Folk Dances by the Ranjanee and Neelkanthdham Groups. OMNA Ancient Arts' dance program was entitled "New Year Celebration Through the World -- Peace and Harmony" and included the Vedic Mantra "Shanti Patahah." Rabindranath Tagore's song on New Year in Bengali was sung and his poem "Where the mind is without fear" was read aloud to the 100 plus attendees. Two symbolic candles where lit to mark world peace and for the safety and remembrance of the U.S. troops overseas. Master of Ceremonies Suprabhat Sengupta explained the significance of New Year in India's varied communities and how the community here in the United States is keeping that spirit and heritage alive. Council Member James Gennaro expressed gratitude to the Indian community for its support in his election victory as well as bringing strong cultural values to the melting pot of NYC. Mr. Gennaro was not shy about participating in the Bhangra dance and was enthusiastically cheered on by the audience. City Citations were presented to community leaders as well as the participants in the ceremony and the program ended with a full-course Indian dinner. As one participant noted, "This is the first time that the Indian flag was hung at the Council Chambers in City Hall and 'Jana Gana Mana' reverently sung. Its one big step in gaining recognition as a community, as well as an election block." Readers may kindly contact Ishani Chaudury at "source" above for further information.

ALLAHABAD, INDIA, April 21, 2003: Romantic poets like Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats, Byron, Blake, Southey and Walter Scott were influenced by the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita, according to a 20-year study undertaken by a scholar of English Literature. "Bhagavad Gita and the English Romantic Movement, a Study in Influence," authored by Dr. Krishan Gopal Srivastava and published by Macmillan India, is receiving rave reviews. It has already sold more than 500 copies following its release last year. The book presents evidence linking romantic poetry with the Gita. Many obscure passages of romantic poets become clear when understood in the light of the Gita. The concept of rebirth, karma, universal soul, immortality and incarnation make the fascination of romantic poets with the Gita apparent. The book establishes that all the great romantics like Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley and Keats had not only read Wilkins Gita, but imbibed its spirit, which found creative expression in their great poems.

NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 21, 2003: Child power is becoming a reality at grassroots level as a unique concept of 'Bal Panchayat' or Children's Council takes shape in different parts of the country. "In the last 50 years, many schemes have been launched for welfare of our children but in almost all the programs, the decision makers were always adults. But in a bid to involve children in their own development process, the concept of 'Bal Panchayat' came up," says Bhagyashri Dengle, joint executive director, Community Aid and Sponsorship Program (CASP), an NGO working for the welfare of children. "The primary objective of these Bal Panchayats is to provide its members an environment conducive to the healthy exchange of ideas and opinions and also serve as a spring board for action," says S.K. Muttoo, director of the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD). The Bal Panchayat movement has spread from Delhi to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. "Children 10- to 17-years old are eligible to join the Bal Panchayats, and every panchayat has its own president. They ask questions about their rights, fight social evils such as child marriage, birth registration, tree plantation, campaign against children's addiction to tobacco, wage war against social menace like child labor, besides doing many more things," says Dengle.

NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 23, 2003: The Sadhana channel was recently launched in India with the blessings of numerous religious leaders and the good wishes of politicians. The event began with bhajanas followed by a speech by the Information and Broadcasting Minister Sri Ravi Shankar Prasad. Mr. Prasad announced the channel would originate from India only, as compared with other channels that are seen in India but uplinked from abroad. Also speaking on the occasion Labor Minister Sri Sahib Singh Verma said that Indian civilization has been under attack for the past thousand years, but the fact that Indian civilization is still alive is due to its spiritual power. The managing director of Sadhana Channel, Sri Rakesh Gupta, announced that in addition to religious and spiritual programs, programs will include bhajana evenings, patriotic and religious cartoons.

NEW DELHI, INDIA, April 22, 2003: At a recent India Financial Summit organized by India Times, one presentation stood out for its simplicity and spontaneity. Times Group Chairman Indu Jain delivered an impromptu talk about her concept of wealth creation, which was warmly received by the audience. Ms Jain urged the delegates not to ignore their true wealth -- their internal resources. "At the World Economic Forum, they cover a large meaning of wealth. Some time ago, the WEF asked me to suggest two-three saints who could enlighten them on the subject. Since then Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has been invited there thrice consecutively. Similarly, my humble request to all of you is that at functions like these, you should also call other people who can expound upon other wealths. Money, wealth are outer resources, but these can be used well only when inner resources are strong, and forums like these should also focus on strengthening inner resources," said Mrs. Jain.

DEHRA DUN, INDIA, April 17, 2003: Pilgrims on the Kailash Mansarovar yatra will return on a different route this summer. The yatris will be able, on their way back, to visit the ancient caves of Pataal Bhuvaneswar, but will miss out on the exquisite scenic beauty of Champawat and Lohaghat areas. They will now come back to Dharchula and reach Almora via Pithoragarh after visiting Pataal Bhuvaneswar. In Almora, they can also visit the famous Jageshwar Dham. Last year, the route on the return journey passed through Pithoragarh, Lohaghat and Champawat. According to the district administration of Pithoragarh, 150 personnel of the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) will be posted on the yatra route. A team of officials from various departments will also check the various facilities provided for the pilgrims en route. Two doctors will accompany each batch of pilgrims and for the first time the yatris will be allowed to take cooks with them on the 26-day yatra. About 700 pilgrims are expected to undertake the arduous pilgrimage this year, which will be flagged off from New Delhi on May 29 to the famed pilgrimage place in Tibet.